Device for anchoring new-born babies umbilical cords until atrophy thereof

ABSTRACT

A device for anchoring the umbilical cords of new-born babies comprises a base ring supportable on a baby&#39;&#39;s body about the umbilical cord and an upper ring fixed out of the plane of the base ring and able to support the lower part of the umbilical cord substantially normal to the body. The upper part of the umbilical cord can be supported and away from the body on a cagelike member.

Unite States Patent Mingami [54] DEVICE FOR ANCHORING NEW-BORN BABESUMBHLICAL CORDS UNTIL ATROPHY THEREOF [72] Inventor: Ernesto Minganti,12, Via Roncati, 40134 Bologna, Italy 22 Filed: Apr-i117, 1970 21Appl.No.: 29,396

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data April 17, 1969 Italy ..1606 A/69Feb. 17, 1970 Italy .3334 N70 [52] U.S.CI. ..128/346, 128/132 R [51]lint. Cl ..'A6lb 17/08, A611" 13/00 [58] Field oliSearch ..l28/20, 132R, 132 D, 283, 128/303, 346

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,016,056 l/1962 Jacobs..l28/346 July 4, 1972 3,053,256 9/1962 Cooper et al. 1 28/303 3,503,3923/1970 Beeman 2,593,211 4/1952 Smith ..12 8/283 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 662,475 5/l963 Canada 1 28/283 100,076 6/1962 Norway 128/233 Primary Examiner-Channing L. Pace Attorney-Robert E. Burns andEmmanual J. Lobato ABSTRACT A device for anchoring the umbilical cordsof new-born babies comprises a base ring supportable on a babys bodyabout the umbilical cord and an upper ring fixed out of the plane of thebase ring and able to support the lower part of the umbilical cordsubstantially normal to the body. The upper part of the umbilical cordcan be supported and away from the body on a cage-like member.

2 Cl 4 Dra i g Figures PATENTED JUL 41973 Inventor:

ERNESTO MINGANTI Atty.

DEVICE FOR ANCHORING NEW-BORN BABIES UMBILICAL CORDS UNTIL ATROPHYTHEREOF The present invention relates to a device for anchoring anew-born babys umbilical cord, so that said cord may naturally atrophywithout any risk of infection or the like.

It is known that the umbilical cord portion of a new-bom baby is pressedafter separation from the mother so that it will atrophy and eventuallycome away on its own. However, in many instances the atrophy processdoes not thoroughly occur so that there are often small infections orother anomalies substantially extending the recovery and/or atrophyperiod. It has been found experimentally that the atrophy process occursregularly and without any drawbacks when the outer portion of theumbilical cord is exposed to the air or at least is not immediately laiddown on the babies skin surface.

On the basis of these experiments there has been devised a device toensure correct atrophy of the umbilical cords of new-born babies.

According to the main aspect of the invention, there is provided adevice for anchoring the umbilical cords of new born babies for atrophythereof, comprising means for supporting the lower part of an umbilicalcord substantially normal to the body, and means for supporting theupper part of the umbilical cord away from the body,

The appended drawings diagrammatically show by way of example twoembodiments of an anchoring device according to the invention. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows the device applied to a navel and supporting an umbilicalcord;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a modified embodiment; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the device covered with a specialcap for isolating the umbilical cord from the surroundings.

The device substantially comprises a cage-like member carrying a basering 1 and an upper anchoring ring 2 interconnected by uprights 3.

Two or more cars or hooks 4 are applied or secured on the base and tapes5 are anchored thereto to attach the device at a correct location bytying said tapes around a new bom babys body.

The device is used by attaching it, as above stated, to a baby's bodyand passing the umbilical cord 6 through the central hole in the upperring 2, thus providing for the anchorage, then binding or tieing theumbilical cord portion 7 projecting from ring 2, so that the cordportion 8 is exposed to the air and arranged to the babys body. Portion7 will be arranged approximately as shown in FIG. 2.

Natural gradual atrophy of the cord portion 8 is then checked untilnatural separation of the cord from the body after a period of about 48hours.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a modified embodiment of the device will nowbe described.

Two separated semi-circular members 10 form a lower ring 11 having aninternal diameter almost the same as that of a new-bom babys umbilicalcord. The ring 11 is concentrically held to the base ring 1 by spokes12. An upper ring 13 has a split 14 and also has an internal diameteralmost the same as that of a new-bom babys umbilical cord. At thelocation of split 15 the ring 13 is outwardly bent over so as to formtwo resilient end portions 15. As before, the upper ring 2 is joined tothe base-ring 1 by spokes 3 and the device can be attached to a babysbody by tapes, as previously described.

The above-described device is entirely made of molded plastics materialand is applied as follows the umbilical cord is slipped in the readilyextendable lower ring, holding the umbilical cord at a correctlycentered position within the device preventing the device from beingdisplaced.

The cord is then slipped in the upper ring and the protruding partattached between the two resilient end portions 15 thereby supportingthe cord in a correct vertical attitude. The

device is then covered by a cap 16 which is pressure fitted on theuprights 3 of the cage-like member, this cap partly covering the wholedevice and leaving an opening at the base for the passage of air. Thebase ring is internally provided with a raised edge 17 for preventingforeign materials from entering through the opening left by the cap forair passage.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for anchoring the umbilical cords of new-bom babies foratrophy thereof, comprising a cage-like member having a base ringsupportable on a babys body in use circumferentially about the umbilicalcord and an upper ring fixed spaced from the base ring and able tosupport the lower part of the umbilical cord substantially normal to ababys body when said base ring is mounted on said babys body about theumbilical cord, and spaced supports on said base ring mounting saidupper ring, a lower ring concentrically fixed within said base ring, andsaid lower and upper rings both having an inner diameter substantiallythe same as that of the umbilical cord of a new-bom baby.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said lower ring comprisestwoseparate sections resiliently joined to said base ring and meansresiliently joining said lower ring to said base ring.

1. A device for anchoring the umbilical cords of new-born babies foratrophy thereof, comprising a cage-like member having a base ringsupportable on a baby''s body in use circumferentially about theumbilical cord and an upper ring fixed spaced from the base ring andable to support the lower part of the umbilical cord substantiallynormal to a baby''s body when said base ring is mounted on said baby''sbody about the umbilical cord, and spaced supports on said base ringmounting said upper ring, a lower ring concentrically fixed within saidbase ring, and said lower and upper rings both having an inner diametersubstantially the same as that of the umbilical cord of a new-born baby.2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said lower ring comprises twoseparate sections resiliently joined to said base ring and meansresiliently joining said lower ring to said base ring.